Conventional touch panel structures, whether a single-panel or double-panel type, was fabricated by the screen-printing or photolithography process on a transparent conductive substrate. Generally the transparent conductive substrate is composed of glass or plastic, and is expensive. Once a touch panel in the fabrication process fails, the transparent conductive substrate will be scrapped with the touch panel and cannot be recycled any more. It is difficult also for a transparent conductive substrate to be formed as a curvy surface.
Moreover, a protective lens needs to be attached and assembled with the touch panel to be a finished product. Conventionally, the protective lens and the touch panel were fabricated separately, and then assembled together in a proper structure order. The assembling process is complex and tends to decrease yield and to increase the whole thickness of a touch panel. Besides, the attachment of a protective lens onto the touch panel is attributed to a key process of bonding rigid panels. This process is difficult and even need to be outsourced to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).